Railroad-spike.



No. 689,916. Patented Dec. 3|, IQOL J. E. SAPP.

RAILRGAD SPIKE. I

ication filed Sept. 8, 1901.)

(Appl (No Model.)

Nrrn S r rns ATT anion.

JAMES EDlVARD SAPP, OF BAINBRIDGE, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- FIFTHS TO LEONIDAS L. INGRAM, OF BAINBRIDGE, GEORGIA.

RAILROAD-S PIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 689,916, dated December 31, 1901.

Application filed $eptember 3, 1901. Serial No. 74,204. (No model.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES EDWARD SAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bainbridge,in the county of Decatur and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Spikes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in spikes particularly adapted for use in securing rails to cross-ties, but capable of miscellaneous utility; and the same consists of a certain novel form of body, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a spike provided with a plurality of biting edges adapted to engage the material penetrated by the same for preventing lateral or longitudinal movement of the spike. It also has in View the provision of a. spike having a plurality of biting edges for preventing movement of the same when once positioned and having a shoulder adapted to fit snugly against the material penetrated by the spike in such manner as to close any slight apertures at the side or edge of the same, whereby moisture is prevented from entering said material about the said spike and loosening its hold thereupon.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a spike embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the same, part of a rail and tie being shown in dotted lines to illustrate the application of the spike; and Fig. 3 represents a transverse section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

It being found by experience that the smooth straight form of spike is liable to become loosened from the material in which it is embedded, and thereby become useless, the tendency of modern improvement has been toward providing a spike of greater tenacity, and to attain the best possible result in this direction the present invention contemplates providing suitable biting flanges, and in addition thereto shoulders adapted to fit snugly against the material penetrated by the spike.

for preventing the entry or collection of moisture about the body of the spike, where by the same would ultimately be left with nothing but decayed material for retaining it.

In order to a full understanding of the present invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings by numerals, in which 1 represents a spike having a main body or central web, as 2, which is provided with any suitable head 3 and at its opposite end is beveled, as at 4 i, for providing a penetrating point. The front edge of spike 1 is preferably made flat, as at 6, and is provided with a laterally-extending flange, as 5, at each corner, each beveled on its inner face, so as to slant to the web portion 2, as best seen in Fig. 3. These flanges 5 preferably extend for approximately the entire length of spike 1. The rear face of the said spike 1 is preferably hollowed out, as at 7, and is provided at either corner with a rearwardly and laterally extending flange, as 8, each having its rear face following the curve of the hollowed-out portion 7 and its front face beveled, so as to slant to web 2, similarly to the rear faces of flanges 5 5. The flanges 8 preferably extend for only a portion of the length of spike 1; but it is of course within the spirit of the present invention to make the same of any desired length. Comparatively near the upper end of spike 1 and extending transversely of webs 2 2 for the entire width thereof, are lugs, as 9 9, which are gradually beveled downwardly, but are shouldered at their upper edges, whereby in operation the material penetrated will be gently and gradually pressed aside and will have a tendency to spring inwardly when past the said shoulder, thereby preventing the removal of the said spike from the penetrated material.

At asuitable distance above lugs 9 is formed a shoulder 10, which extends on both sides and edges of spike 1 and in operation is adapted to fit snugly down upon the material in which the spike is embedded, and thereby close any slight aperture which might be left about the spike at the points of the sides of web2 and its hollowed-out edge 7, and, as before suggested, this snug fit of flange 10 will prevent collection of moisture about spike 1 and the resulting decay of the surrounding material.

The great advantages of the flanges 5 and S will be readily apparent, as they expose a greater surface for resistance than could otherwise be secured, whereby the present improved spike is not liable to be moved laterally, and the lugs 9 9 present engaging shoulders, preventing longitudinal movement. will be noted that I prefer to arrange these lugs- 9 in difi'erent horizontal planes, one above the other, on opposite sides of the spike, and this arrangement enables the spike to enter the material penetrated thereby without danger of splitting the same, the passage of the lower lugs 9 into such material being accomplished when the upper lug 9 begins to enter, whereby such material will be given suificient time to spring to accommodate the lower lug before being further spread by the upper lug.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A spike having a central Web portion of greater depth than width, said web being curved or channeled outon its rear face to form diagonally-projecting cutting edges, a shoulder on each side face of the web, one shoulder beingarranged in a horizontal plane above the other, the side faces being channeled out except for said shoulders and forming projecting cutting edges at the front corners, and a continuous shoulder near the upper end of the spike between the head and the said side shoulders, closing all of the channeled or grooved portions, the construction and arrangement being such that when the spike is driven in, all four projecting cut ting edges will penetrate the material into which the spike is driven, and the side shoulders will successively crowd the fibers of said material, the continuous shoulder being crowded upon said already-crowded material and tending to prevent entrance of moisture, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES EDWARD SAPP.

Witnesses:

L. L. INGRAM, o. D. ToNGE. 

